Detailed Itinerary of the 17 Days Lhasa to Kathmandu Tour plus Mt. Kailash and Guge Kingdom

Day 1: Arrival upon Lhasa

Highlights: Arrival & Pick - up & Acclimatization

Schedule today: Arrival at Lhasa at airport or train station, our guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to hotel for acclimatization; you can have your free time hanging out at this holy city to get the first impression of Tibet

Warm Tibetan Style Pickup Service

Warm Tibetan Style Pickup Service

Day 2: Lhasa city tour

Highlights: Potala Palace, Johkang Temple，Barkhor Street

Schedule today: In the morning, visit the symbol or landmark of Lhasa - Potala Palace (video), the successive Dalai Lama’s winter residence since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. In the afternoon, visit the center of Tibetan Buddhism - Johkang Temple (video), where you will come across lots of devoted pilgrimages coming from every corner of Tibet. Both sites are under the list of the world cultural heritages by the UNESCO. Afterwards, free time for you to wander through the Barkhor Street, the busiest street in old Lhasa quarter.

Potala Palace

Johkang Temple

Day 3: Lhasa city tour

Highlights: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery

Schedule today: In the morning, we will visit Drepung Monastery which is the biggest Tibetan Buddhism College with the biggest number of monks in Tibet. The monastery used to be the winter residence of the Dalai Lama before the 5th Dalai Lama moved his residency to the Potala Palace. And in the afternoon, we will visit another influential Gelugpa Monastery - Sera Monastery (video), where you can see the largest scale of sutra debating (video) among monks is famous all across Tibet.

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Day 4: Lhasa – Gyantse - Shigatse

Highlights: Yamdrok Lake, Karo Glacier, Pelchor Monastery

Schedule today: In the morning, drive to the historic town of Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake (video), according to local mythology, Yamdrok Lake is the transformation of a goddess, on the Gangbala Pass, you will have a clear picture of this Tibetan holy lake in turquoise, in distance you can also see the snowcapped Summit of Ninjingkangsang. In Gyantse (video) , you will find the largest stupa in Tibet - Kumpa Stupa (Ten - thousand stupa), just next to the Stupa is the Pelchor Monastery (video). Another important site in Gyantse is Dzong Castle which once was a battle field where Tibetan fought against British invasion. Stay overnight in Shigatse City.

Yamdrok Lake

Pelchor Monastery

Day 5: Shigatse – Sakya – Tingri

Highlights: Tashilumpo Monastery,Sakya Monastery

Schedule today: In Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet, we can visit Tashilumpo Monastery (video) which is the seat of Panchen Lama, the equally important religious figure in Tibet as Dalai Lama. The monastery was built by the first Dalai Lama in 1447, and inside the Monastery placed the highest statue of Buddha in Tibet which is 26.8 meters high. After obtaining the permit, we will drive to Sakya County and pay a visit to the famous Sakya monastery which was founded in 1073 and it was the principal monastery of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Afterwards, drive to Tingri, stay overnight there.

Tashilhunpo Monastery

Sakya Monastery

Day 6: Tingri - EBC

Highlights: Rongbuk Monastery, Everest Base Camp

Schedule today: In the morning we will head to Everest Base camp. If the weather is good, on the top of the Gyalpo - la pass you can see 4 of the highest mountains over 8000 meters (Mt. Everest; Mt. Makalu; Mt. Lotse; Mt. Cho Oyu) in the world at the same time, what a great picture.

Before reaching EBC, we will firstly see the Rongbuk Monastery that is the highest monastery in the world, visit the monastery also. Then, drive to the tents area for the tourists. From there, you can take green bus to the Everest Base Camp or trek to the base camp. It’s a 4km distance but could be arduous since the altitude there is all over 5200 meters. Today, we will have lots of time in the EBC area, so just enjoy yourself.

Rongbuk Monastery

Mt. Everest Base Camp

Day 7:Everest Base Camp - Saga

Highlights: Everest Sunrise View, Peikutso Lake

Schedule today: In the early morning, if weather is good, you can choose to wake up early to see the stunning sunrise view of Mt. Everest. After breakfast, we will head to Saga via Gyirong. On the road you will pass Peikutso Lake, the beautiful turquoise Peiku - tso(4590m) is one of Tibet’s magical spots with stunning views of the snowcapped Shiishapangma(8012m) and the Langtang range bordering Nepal to the south.

Mt. Everest Sunrise

Peikutso Lake

Day 8: Saga - Lake Manasarovar - Darchen

Highlights: Lake Manasarovar

Schedule today: In the morning you will head to Lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s holiest lake which sits at 4590 meters. We will go on following the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra River going through vast expanses of grasslands before arriving in Paryang, elevation 4590 meters. And Lake Manasarovar is an important pilgrimage destination for Tibetans and Hindu’s from India and Nepal. From the lake, you can see Mount Kailash in the distance. Then we will make the short drive to Darchen, the starting point of the trek around Mt. Kailash.

Schedule today: In the morning start the trekking trip to Dira phug.On the road you will see the face of Mt. Kailash appear from time to time. You may pay a visit to Chuku Monouastery(4820m), founded in the 13th century by Gotsangpa Gompo Pel, a Kagyupa - order master, is perched high above the valley floor on the hillside to the west. It bends so secretively into its rocky background you may not able notice it’s there. Dira - puk(Lhalung Dira) Monastery(5080m) sits in a superb location on the hillside north of the Lha - chu. It directly faces the astonishing north face of Mt Kailash, which from this angle appears as a massive, jet - black slab of granite ornamented with alabaster - white strips of snow. Three lesser mountains are arrayed in front of Mt Kailash: Chana Dorie to the west, Jampelyang to the east and Chenresig in the center.

Mount Kailash Trekking

Mount Kailash Trekking

Day 10:Dira phug - Dolma La Pass (22km trekking)

Highlights: Zuthal Puk

Schedule today: In the morning we will trek across a valley up to the Dolma - La Pass. By the late afternoon arrive at Zuthal Puk, the cave of miracles where the Tibetan poet - saint Milarepa once stayed.

Mount Kailash Trekking

Mount Kailash Trekking

Day 11:Dolma La Pass - Darchen (14km trekking)

Highlights: Lake Manasarovar

Schedule today: In the morning we will hike back to Darchen. And your car is waiting for you when you finishing the trekking.

Mount Kailash Trekking

Mount Kailash Trekking

Day 12: Darchen - Zanda

Highlights: Tholing Mound Forest, Tholing Monastery

Schedule today: Drive from Darchen to Zanda along the Xinjiang - Tibet Highway, and drive off the main highway after 150Km, go across a few mountain passes, you will see the magnificent Tholing Mound Forest. In the afternoon, visit the Tholing Monastery. Overnight at Zanda.

Tholing Mound Forest

Tholing Monastery

Day 13: Zanda - Guge Kingdom Ruins

Highlights: Guge Kingdom Ruins

Schedule today: Morning drive to Tsaparang Guge Kingdom Ruins, in the vast valley of Sutlej river you can find ruins of ancient famous Guge kingdom among the remarkable sand - dunes, a number of temples are still intact and contain exquisite murals and decorative motifs, some are dating back more than 10,000 years, make a half day tour at there. Afternoon drive back to Zanda and have a rest or look around Zanda town.

Guge Kingdom Ruins

Guge Kingdom Ruins

Day 14: Zanda – Darchen

Highlights: Lake Manasarovar

Schedule today: After breakfast, retrace the road back to Darchen

Near Darchen

Near Darchen

Day 15:Darchen - Saga

Highlights: Lake Manasarovar

Schedule today: In the morning we will head back to Saga as we pass through the nomadic regions of western Tibet.

Day 16: Saga County - Gyirong Town (180km, 7 - 8 hours on wheel)

Highlights: Gyirong Valley

Schedule today: In the morning, we will drive southwest towards Gyirong Town, it lies at China - Nepal border and is known as the Back Garden of Mt. Everest.. Though Gyirong County is only about 110 km away from Saga and the first 65km is not well paved, we may arrive about lunch time. There are only 94km from Gyirong County (Gyirong Valley) to Gyirong port, but the altitude descends dramatically and brings various landscapes & spectacular sceneries all the way.

Gyirong Valley

Gyirong Valley

Day 17: Gyirong Town - Gyirong Port (24 km, 1 hour on wheel)

Highlights: sunrise in Gyirong Town, China - Nepal border crossing

Schedule today: The port opens at 10 AM and there are 24 km from the town to the Gyirong Port. So we will depart hotel from the town before 9AM to ensure we can cross the border ASAP( the road in Nepal side is not that good and takes long time to reach Kathmandu.) Our guide will help you with Chinese border formalities and you will cross the border and check in Nepal side by yourself. It’s takes around 9 hours’ driving from the border to Kathmandu. Note, all our service ends at Chinese border side, you are on your own once cross the border. Tour ends, our guide and driver will drop you off at border. Welcome to Tibet next time.

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